Sanitary appliance

ABSTRACT

A sanitary appliance, e.g. a bidet has a pan or basin and a spray device with guided jets and a pipe portion for connection to a supply pipe. The spray device is adjustable in both direction and height with respect to the pan or basin.

United States Patent Coutellier Nov. 20, 1973 [5 SANITARY APPLIANCE1,874,169 8/1932 [76] Inventor: Paul Lucien Coutellier, 36 rueBui-thi-Xuan, Saigon, South 2: 52:7 2 9 95 Vietnam 3,398,408 8/1968 3 420 2 1 22 F1led: Apr. 28, 1972 2 22 j ggf [21] App]. No.: 248,450 FOREIGNPATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 632,596 7/1936 Gennany 4/7 [30] ForeignApplication Priority Data Apr. 30, 1971 South Vietnam 2125 PrimaryExaminerI-Ienry K. Artis Attorney-E. F. Wenderoth et a1. [52] U.S. CI.4/7 [5 Int. Cl- 1 v [58] Field of Search 4/6, 7, 237, 145

A sanitary apphance, e.g. a bidet has a pan or basin [56] ReferencesCited tztnd a sprayfdevitce with glliideti jets T2nd a pipej portion orconnec mu 0 a supp y plpe. e spray evlce 1s UNITED STATES PATENTSadjustable in both direction and height with respect to 3,513,487 5/1970Palarmo 4 7 the pan or basin. 3,375,532 4/1968 Gallrnann... 3,171,1383/1965 Brienelle.... 7 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures SANITARY APPLIANCEBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This inventionrelates to a sanitary appliance such as a bidet.

2. Prior Art Bidets are already known in which the filling is effectedfrom the inner periphery of the pan or basin of the bidet or by aswivelling tap known as a swan-neck.

Bidet pans or basins are likewise known which comprise devices forprojecting water in an upward jet.

There have also been designed combined assemblies having severalconnected appliances, e.g. a bath, washbasin and bidet, which assemblieshave the benefit of a common supply through a hand-spray deviceconnected to a tap by a long flexible pipe alternately supplying thethree appliances. In these known installations the use of the showerrose is not very convenient as it is necessary to guide or hold theflexible pipe in one hand. Furthermore the rim of the bidet pan or basinis often very narrow, which does not make the seated position verycomfortable.

There is alsoknown a bidet having a water distributing device with ashower rose fitted on the flat part of the pan or basin, the shower rosebeing mounted on a swinging base enabling it to be swivelled at will.

In all these known appliances, even with careful cleaning of the rims ofthe pan or basin, they tend to become dull or tarnished and aredifficult to keep in a perfectly hygienic condition.

SUMMARY According to the invention a sanitary device, e.g. a bidetcomprises a pan or basin and a spray device with guided jets and a pipeportion for connection to a supply pipe, which spray device isadjustable in both direction and height with respect to the pan orbasin.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view, by way ofexample, of a bidet,'illustrating the provision of a detachable ledgeand the mounting of the spray or shower rose; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevational view, partly in section, of the meansfor mounting the spray rose of the bidet shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawing, abidet comprises a pan or basin having a part 1 having an upwardly facingflat surface on which is arranged a water projecting or spray devicecomprising a small shower or spray rose end 2 with guided jets directedunder reduced pressure in order to prevent the water splashing out.

The spray rose 2 is mounted on a swivelling support 3 which in turn issecurely attached to a telescopic pipe portion 5 which can be fixed inposition at the height desired with respect to the pan or basin andconnected to a flexible supply pipe 6 which can be concealed in a recessprovided in the body of the bidet. The pipe 5 is provided with arack-type external configuration formed by a series of circumferential,annular grooves 10 spaced apart axially along the pipe, and is mountedin telescopic, sliding relation with a guide-support member 4. The pipe5 can be locked at the selected height for use, by a ball 11 and spring12 made of stainless material and seated in the guide-support member,the ball 11 engaging one of the grooves 10. The spray rose 2 alsoincludes a flow regulator and is tiltable relatively to the support 3 tocontrol the flow regulator and hence the flow of water emitted by thejets.

When it is desired to use the basin all that is necessary is to controlthe inlet of hot or cold water in the manner described below, thenduring the entire washing operation an increase or reduction in the flowis effected by simply tilting the spray rose. This makes it possible tomaintain the preset mixing and avoid having to handle taps, thusfrequently smearing them with soap.

The swivelling spray head on its articulaed support is rotatable aboutthe vertical axis of the pipe portion 5 and thus makes it possible toregulate the direction of the jet of water projected in a shower on tothe area to be washed, whilst allowing both hands to be kept free forwashing. On account of this system it is no longer necessary to awaitthe lengthy filling of the basin.

In theform of embodiment shown there is provided, in order to facilitatethe upkeep of the bidet, whose pan or basin is advantageously wellwidened, as indicated at 7, and in particular to enable its rim to bekept in a perfectly hygienic condition, a detachable ledge covering thewide rim 8 of the basin, this ledge being made of a piece of suitableresilient or flexible material so that it can be fitted over the rim ofthe basin simply by pressure.

In order to facilitate the positioning of this detachable ledge theconventional taps have been replaced by two taps which control thesupply of hot and cold water respectively and are arranged under theflat surface of the part 1 and hence the rim of the basin. The taps havevisible control levers 9 situated on either side of the pan or basin,which levers, so as to avoid any error in operation, work in the samedirection, for example so that the forward position corresponds to theopening and the rearward position corresponds to the closure of theoutflow of water.

A wide basin rim 8 ensures a better sitting position and maximumcomfort. The detachable ledge can be made of any suitable pliant andsolid material, of natural or synthetic origin, and likewise it ispossible to match the colour shade of the ledge to the colour of thewall-tiles of the bathroom and the decoration thereof.

Also, the wide shaped bidet of this embodiment is advantageous in thatthe bidet pan or basin may be used both as a bidet or as a wash-basinfor children.

The invention is not restricted to bidets. For example, the inventionmay readily be applied to other sanitary appliances such as baths andwash-basins.

I claim:

1. A sanitary device, e. g. a bidet, said device comprising:

a pan or basin;

a guide support member operatively associated with said pan or basin;

a flexible supply pipe extending through said guide support member;

a pipe portion having a rack-like external configuration and mounted intelescopic sliding relation through said guide support member andconnected to said flexible supply pipe;

ball and spring means mounted between said guide support member and saidpipe portion for locking said pipe portion in a desired height withrespect to said pan or basin;

a swivel support attached to the upper end of said pipe portion; and

a spray device with guided jets mounted in said swivel support forrotation about a vertical axis.

2. A sanitary device according to claim 1, wherein the pan or basin hasan upwardly facing flat surface, and said spray device is mounted onsaid flat surface of the pan or basin.

3. A sanitary device according to claim 1, wherein the spray device hasa rose end and includes a flow regulator which enables the flow to becontrolled by tilting said rose end.

4. A sanitary device according to claim 1, wherein the pan or basin hasa wide rim covered by a detachable ledge formed of flexible or resilientmaterial, which ledge fits over the rim of said pan or basin simply bypressure.

5. A sanitary appliance according to claim 4, wherein taps controllingthe supply of hot and cold water respectively are arranged below the rimof the pan or basin so as to facilitate the fitting of the detachableledge.

6. A sanitary appliance according to claim 5, wherein the controlhandles of said taps are situated on either side of said pan or basinand, in order to avoid any error in operation, said control handlesoperate in the same direction.

7. A sanitary appliance according to claim 1, wherein said pan or basinis a bidet pan or basin having a wide shape and a wide rim, theappliance thus being able to serve both as a bidet and as a wash-basinfor children.

1. A sanitary device, e.g. a bidet, said device comprising: a pan orbasin; a guide support member operatively associated with said pan orbasin; a flexible supply pipe extending through said guide supportmember; a pipe portion having a rack-like external configuration andmounted in telescopic sliding relation through said guide support memberand connected to said flexible supply pipe; ball and spring meansmounted between said guide support member and said pipe portion forlocking said pipe portion in a desired height with respect to said panor basin; a swivel support attached to the upper end of said pipeportion; and a spray device with guided jets mounted in said swivelsupport for rotation about a vertical axis.
 2. A sanitary deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the pan or basin has an upwardly facingflat surface, and said spray device is mounted on said flat surface ofthe pan or basin.
 3. A sanitary device according to claim 1, wherein thespray device has a rose end and includes a flow regulator which enablesthe flow to be controlled by tilting said rose end.
 4. A sanitary deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the pan or basin has a wide rim covered bya detachable ledge formed of flexible or resilieNt material, which ledgefits over the rim of said pan or basin simply by pressure.
 5. A sanitaryappliance according to claim 4, wherein taps controlling the supply ofhot and cold water respectively are arranged below the rim of the pan orbasin so as to facilitate the fitting of the detachable ledge.
 6. Asanitary appliance according to claim 5, wherein the control handles ofsaid taps are situated on either side of said pan or basin and, in orderto avoid any error in operation, said control handles operate in thesame direction.
 7. A sanitary appliance according to claim 1, whereinsaid pan or basin is a bidet pan or basin having a wide shape and a widerim, the appliance thus being able to serve both as a bidet and as awash-basin for children.